The Kira Institute's mission is to investigate distinct views of reality, taking off from one central question: “Starting with science, what else is true?” This investigation draws first from science and then from “science in context,” looking at science in relation to the insights of other disciplines and world traditions. This investigation is guided by pluralism, critical thinking, and playfulness.

Pluralism
Kira encourages explorations that value the contributions and insights of different disciplines and world traditions. We at Kira work to show how mutual respect and appreciation may be engendered between diverse ways of knowing and understanding the world, in order to take a truly interdisciplinary approach to investigating human knowledge.

Critical thinking
Critical thinking is a foundational element of our explorations in science and science in context. We believe that the great success of science lies in its methodology of testing and peer review. We encourage our participants to engage in a similarly rigorous and systematic investigation of other approaches to acquiring knowledge. Our investigations emphasize an evaluation of the roots as opposed to the fruits of science and other ways of knowing.

Playfulness
At Kira we embrace a "playful learning" model. During our 11 year history, we have found an atmosphere of unconstrained play to be a necessity for the kind of free exploration that avoids falling into any form of fundamentalism (philosophical, spiritual, or scientific). Our playful group discussions and collaborative interactions foster optimal engagement and creativity in exploring and comparing insights, identifying their roots, and applying them to each participant's self- and world-understanding.

Contemporary society runs the risk of fragmentation, slipping into disconnected or even discordant perspectives on life. We believe that by investigating human knowledge through these three guiding points of pluralism, critical thinking, and playfulness we can begin to develop a more integrated world view, one that embodies a deeper understanding and appreciation of what it is to be human.